Lead Performer: Simple Homes – Denver, CO
Partners:
-- Home Innovation Research Labs – Upper Marlboro, MD
-- DuPont Safety and Construction – Midland, MI
-- McStain Neighborhoods – Denver, CO
-- Bygghouse – Merchantville, NJ
DOE Total Funding: $1,000,000
Cost Share: $1,539,415
Project Term: July 1, 2020 to July 31, 2023
Funding Type: Advanced Building Construction FOA Award
Project Objective
This project seeks to develop an integrated building system for the design, manufacturing, and delivery of Department of Energy Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) certified cottage-style single-family homes. These homes will be 40–50% more energy efficient than a code-built home, featuring closed wall panels produced using industrial automation and off-site manufacturing. The integrated building systems will include three distinct elements:
- An automated off-site production platform, consisting of a virtual prototype production line and pilot robotic cell that utilizes off-the-shelf industrial robotics to reduce the labor cost associated with closed wall panel fabrication and construction.
- An efficient design platform consisting of predefined assemblies and modules that can be combined to create a variety of ZERH-certified homes.
- An on-site delivery platform consisting of complementary technologies that are necessary for the cost-effective on-site delivery and construction of panelized ZERH-certified homes.
The consortium intends to share all results with the public in the form of research papers, conference presentations, and media interviews, as the work product of publicly funded research. Simple Homes will also develop 3D visualizations and videos to share the results of the project with the public. Finally, the consortium intends to share standardized design guidance and best practices through the program that can help lay the framework for a broader library of knowledge on the adoption of automation in residential construction.
Project Impact
By developing a building system to produce ZERH-certified homes at the same first cost as today’s code-built homes, this project will help improve overall adoption by mitigating one of the primary barriers. The total potential energy savings of this novel approach to ZERH is approximately 0.6 quads. If successful, this project also has the potential to address the U.S. homebuilding industry’s challenges surrounding labor productivity and, in the process, improve the industry’s global competitiveness.
Contacts
DOE Technology Manager: Eric Werling, Eric.Werling@ee.doe.gov
Lead Performer: Jeffrey Hopfenbeck, Simple Homes